Electricity distributors in Ye Township, Mon State, have raised the price of electricity to as high as 3,800 kyats per unit due to difficulties in purchasing fuel, according to local sources.
Private electricity companies announced through local electrification committees that the new rate of 3,800 kyats per unit will apply in April for electricity consumed in March. The price adjustment depends on the availability of fuel used for power generation.
The SMD company, which supplies electricity in northern Ye, also stated that electricity prices may continue to fluctuate depending on fuel supply conditions.
“We are receiving electricity for fewer hours now. They have reduced the supply time because of fuel shortages. Now they have announced the price will be 3,800 kyats per unit. People who rely on electricity for their work will have no choice but to stop their operations,” a local resident said.
In Ye Township, where agriculture is the main livelihood, ongoing fuel shortages are also affecting farmers. Crops such as betel plants, durian trees, and other cultivated plants are drying out and being damaged because farmers cannot pump water for irrigation.
Before the fuel shortage, electricity prices in Ye Township were just over 2,000 kyats per unit, but they have now increased significantly to 3,800 kyats.
As Ye Township is not connected to the national power grid, electricity is distributed through private companies and self-reliant systems, forcing residents to pay significantly higher prices compared to other areas.
There are two private companies distributing electricity in Ye Township. SMD supplies electricity to villages in northern Ye, while Myat Thu Ya Htun company provides electricity to wards and villages in southern Ye.
